Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley to give evidence to MPs regarding UK high streets
Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has vowed to try to help save the UK’s high streets by insisting that MPs do more to help.
Ashley is also due to attend a select committee in Westminster on 3 December as the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee conducts an inquiry into ‘High streets and town centres in 2030.’
A spokesman for Sports Direct said: “The MPs originally wanted somebody from House of Fraser to speak for about 15 minutes as part of a panel of four, and said they didn’t mind who it was. Mike thought that wouldn’t achieve anything, so instead he demanded to go along in person for a full hour.”
Sports Direct has also announced that it has saved over 20 House of Fraser stores after acquiring the department store chain out of administration in August.
Ashley added: “Since we acquired House of Fraser, we’ve been working around the clock to save as many stores and jobs as possible. I believe politicians and landlords should be doing more to save our struggling high streets, so I intend to make the most of this opportunity to make a real difference.”
However, The Sunday Times has reported that Ashley has said he will shut all of his stores in Intu shopping centres when the leases reach a break clause or expire following his dispute over rents for House of Fraser stores.
